Subject: Salary Revision for Officer Employees of Public
Sector Banks governed by Officer’s Service Regulation – 10th Bipartite
Settlement for period 1.11.2012 to 31.10.2017

Sir.
I am directed to refer to your letter No. HR&IR/KSC/GOVT/665 dated
25th May, 2015 on the above subject and to say that Government has ‘No
objection‘ to IBA authorizing the Banks to pay revised salary and
arrears of pay and allowances to serving officers and revised pension
and arrears to existing pension optees retired w.e.f. on or after
1.11.2012 as per the provisions at the Joint Note pending amendments to
the Officer’s Service Regulations/Pension Regulations subject to the
provisions made by the respective banks in the particular year.

2. As regards declaring 2nd and 4th Saturday as holidays and other
Saturdays as full working days is concerned. IBA may rater to this
Department’s letter No. 4/1/7/2015-IR dated 2.6.2015.

Indian Railways Technical Supervisors Association already submitted a
complete memorandum to 7th Pay Commission on 26.5.2014 and Oral
evidence and Power Point Presentation also by IRTSA on 12.12.2014. Now,
an another supplementary Memorandum submitted to 7th Central Pay
Commission on 17.6.2015. The rejoinder memorandum insists on the demands
of Higher Grade Pay and Classification of posts of Technical
Supervisors in Railways.

13.1. Benefits& Drawbacks of Pay Band and Grade Pay system introduced by 6th CPC

i. Problem of stagnation in pay is eliminated, since pay bands are having long spans.

ii. If employees are stagnated at the maximum of any pay band for
more than one year, continuously, he/she shall be placed in the
immediate next higher pay band without change in the Grade Pay.

iii. Point to point fixation was facilitated by the pay band system,
(with one increment in the revised pay cale for every three increments
in the pre-revised scale) – But the employees with more years of service
were placed in a disadvantageous position.

iv. Quantum of increment increases exponentially, instead of fixed
rate of increment attached to every pay scale – But the difference
became very large at higher levels – thus causing discrimination with
those at middle & lower levels.

v. Grade Pay decides hierarchy / seniority of the post.

13.2. Main Draw backs of Pay Band and Grade Pay system introduced by 6th CPC

i. Increase between minimum basic pay of prerevised scale and minimum
of every Revised Pay Band is not uniform. There is much greater
increase in favour of PB-3 & PB-4.

ii. Arbitrary adoption of formula of 40% of maximum of the merged
scales for deciding the Grade Pay – instead of progressive and
proportionate rise of Grade Pay from one scale to the next.

iii. Disproportionate rise of pay after Sixth Pay commission – due to
grant of disproportionate Higher Grade pays in higher scales (S-24
& above) as compared to S-4 to S-23 (Please see details in the
following Table and also the table in next page)

vi. Situation of senior promotes getting less pay than Junior direct
recruits, is in violation of basic principle of Pay Band system. For
example,

a. A JE with five years of service while getting regular promotion from
Grade Pay Rs.4200 in PB-2 to Grade Pay Rs.4600 as SSE is fixed at a
Basic pay of Rs. 16120 compared to the Direct recruit’s basic pay of
Rs.17140.

b. A JE with five years of service while getting promotion (through
LDCE) from Grade Pay Rs.4200 in PB-2 to Grade Pay Rs.4800 as AWM/AME/AE
is fixed a Basic pay of Rs. 16120 compared to the Direct recruit’s basic
pay of Rs.18150.

c. Pay on Promotion should be fixed at least at par with Entry Pay in the Revised Pay Structure for direct recruits.

“The protests that began in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last
Monday, demanding immediate implementation of the OROP continues even as
the government chooses to turn a blind eye towards it”
Ex-servicemen have been protesting now for a week at New Delhi’s
Jantar Mantar, demanding the immediate implementation of the OROP
scheme. Similar protests are also on at 20 important cities in the
country to put pressure on the government to act.

The series of protests is jointly organized by 30 ex-servicemen
welfare organizations, under the leadership of Chairman of IESM, Maj.
Gen. Satbir Singh. Speaking to the media, Satbir Singh said, “Until now
the Government has not tried to negotiate with us. If there are no
results for the protests, we will shift our protests to Bihar.”

The protesters believe that the government will be more receptive to
their demands if the protests affect the party’s chances of winning the
state elections in Bihar.

BJP’s parliamentary election manifesto last year promised immediate
implementation of the OROP if they come to power. After coming to power,
assurances were given by the ministers including the prime minister
himself.

Ex-servicemen expected a formal announcement to be made at the first
year rally. But, not a word was uttered about this. The ex-servicemen
did not lose hope.

On June 1, in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio show, the prime minister assured that he will implement the OROP scheme.

Media reports indicated that sufficient funds were allocated in the
previous financial year and that steps are on to implement the scheme.
Reports further added that the revised pension scheme is very similar to
those of the MPs. But, one has to also accept the fact that the scheme
is much closer to implementation than it ever was during the Congress
regime.

Many wonder why the army-men have resorted to protests. A number of reasons are being given for the protests.

Excess of trust in Modi government is one of the reasons.
Congress-led UPA government, which failed to implement the OROP scheme,
suffered humiliating defeat in the elections. The second reason is that
more than 30 lakh ex-servicemen and their families spread throughout the
country believed in the promises made by the BJP in its election
campaign.

The third reason – contradictory stands among the Ministries of
Finance and Defence – is considered to be the most important. There are
claims that the Ministry of Finance had asked the Defence Ministry to
refer to the 7th Central Pay Commission. This is rumoured to be the
stand of the bureaucrats.

There have been warnings that implementing the OROP scheme is an
expensive task and changes will have to be made to the current pension
structure for the Central Government employees and Pensioners. The
message was subtly conveyed to the representatives of ex-servicemen by
the defence ministry. This had greatly angered the delegates. Protests
were launched amidst worries that OROP will be shelved again.
Even now, the ex-servicemen trust the Prime Minister Modi because he doesn’t believe the bureaucrats easily.

A question as to how the medically incapacitated staff of Railway
Protection Force/Railway Protection Special Force may be absorbed in
alternative jobs in other departments of the Zonal Railways has been
under consideration of Railway Board.

2. Attention in this connection is invited to Board’s letter No.
E(NG)I-88/RE-3/2 dated 18.01.1989 which provide that medically unfit
RPF/RPSF staff may be first considered for absorption in ministerial
post in their own department. The Committee constituted for considering
such alternative appointments shall include an officer of the Personnel
Department. In case no suitable posts to so accommodate them in RPF
department are available, they may be considered for absorption in
alternative posts in other departments of the railways within the
framework of the provisions contained in Chapter XIII of the Indian
Railway Establishment Manual Vol.I, Revised Edition 1989, First Reprint
Edition-2009. Similarly, when staff of other departments are medically
decategorised, they will also be considered for absorption against
suitable posts in their own department at the outset and in case no
posts are available therein then such staff will be considered against
Ministerial posts in the RPF department, if such posts are available in
that Department.

3. The matter has been considered by the Board. It is reiterated
that the above instructions/procedure may be followed scrupulously in
order to maintain the uniformity on all the Zonal Railways.

(This dispose of South Western Railway’s letter No.SWR/P.573/Med.Decatg/Vol.I dated 22.05.2014).